Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-09-08

cut of your jib she'll hire you on trial
for q spell. at two dollars u week and
board-what do you say to that?'
For moment or two Tad could say
nothing whatever; the prospect of earn
ing such sum at the very onset, fairly
took away his breath. More than a
/ hundred dollars year, and board be-
! side! Why, it would not be so very
long, at that rate, before he should be
able to buy himself the little home of
his dreams.
"Well, didn't you hear what said?
pears to me you're dretful deefr' OBJ
served the Captain, little sharply,
thinking perhaps that Tad's silence
arose from disinclination to accept
| the offer which he, Captain Flagg, knew
was most favorable one.
who's that's so dretful deef-Tad?"
interposed a familiar voice, before Tad
could frame a reply. The speaker was
no other than Joe Whitney. who, scent
ing the odor OF frying doaghnuts in
passing, had come in for possible
share of the spoils. just in time to hear
his uncle's remark.
''Deef as haddock," grumbled the
| Captain, irritably, "and dumb into the
bargain, anybody'd think; for here I've
as good as got him berth to Miss
Smiths, and he's to go over there fust
thing in the morning for kind of over
haulin', but when tell him, he never
SO much as says whether he's glad or
sorry-dOn't say nothin', in fact" And
here, as the Captain paused for breath,
astonished Tad had at last chance to
explain himself.
Indeed, SIR" exclaimed the boy,
with sparkling eyes and eager speech,
Its only because that I'm so glad and
so-so-every thing" said Tad, unable
to frame his gratitude, ''that can't say
what want to"
The Captain, who saw his mistake,
was instantly appeased. He patted
Tad on the shoulder in the most friend
ly manner Imaginable, and after clear
ing his throat told him in low tone
that Solomon hit the nail square on the
head when he said that there's Provi-
dence that shapes our ends, refuse them
as much as we've mind to, and then,
remembering that the small sachel was
still III Tad's possession, he got together
his writing materials. and, with the
help of the Business Mans Assistant"
and Every Man His Own Lawyer,
drew up the following notice for publ
cation:
ITO ALI Whom it May Conoern:
"Be it known that the evening of March
! g. 1877, certain party left on a seat N the
Broad Street Station, city OF Philadelphia, q
! handbag supposed to contain valuableS. Now,
therefore, if said party shall at the time Of
| reading this notification, a thereafter
| ward may be possible, communicate by let
ter with the subscriber describing said bag, to-
| gether with such other information as shall
satisfy the subscriber aforesaid that said re-
| spondent is the true and lawful owner thereof,
| the handbag before mentioned will be duly re-
turned on the payment OF the sum Of five dol
| lars to cover expenses of advertising, etc.
(Signed) " CAPTAIN JETHRO FLAGG.
Residence, Bixport, State of Maine
Having finished this rather remarka-
BILE production, Captain Flagg read it
aloud for the edifcation of Tad and
Joe Whitney, who had just returned
from the kitchen.
''Tain't the way I'd put it, Uncle
Jeth," remarked the irrepressible Joe,
with his mouth full of doughnut and
a suspicious bunchiness about his
PONhCCC, 40 SuHbttil bON II
the paper with look of conscious
pride. 'I'd just say: Found in Broad
Street station, Philadelphia, on such
and-such night, handbag. Prove
Property and pay charges. Address
Captain Jethro Flagg, Bixport,
Maine
Captain Flagg regarded his auda-
cious nephew with look in which
mild Indignation was blended with
pity. ''Mebbe you would, Joseph" he
said, with some severity, "mebbe you
would; but, considerin' that I'm jest a
few years Older'n you, I've took the
liberty of dom this my own way
"All right, Uncle Jeth," returned
the unabashed youth, IF you don't
mind, don't, I'm sure. Say, Tad"
he remarked, briskly, turning to the
secretly amused youth, ''how'd you
like me to 60 over to Miss Smiths in
the morning and speak good word
for you, eh?"
I'D like you to go with me ever so
much" warmly replied Tad. He did
not rely much upon Joe's verbal rec
concentration, but he had sort of
feeling that the moral support of his
presence would be great deal.
IN call for you right after break
fast" briefly returned Joe, with twin
kle in the eye, that, had Polly been
present, she would have understood at
once to mean mischief. But she was
helping Mrs. Flagg with supper prep
arations, and the Captain was busy
sending off the copies of his notice to
a couple of city papers, SO Tad had no
warning as to Joe Whitney's love of
practical jokes. And all the way home
loo chOEad down nartoin little twin oas